I believe this should be passed on to the next person here. We need to remind ourselves of what's important, and in my opinion it's Jenna, Mac, Dawno, ChuckyC, Mike, Ray, Birol (Lori), Poet, Haskins, and a host of folks who have helped to keep AW afloat for so long.
The mods can close this thread, if they like, but they can never close the warmth and kindness that we've shared for so long. So, if Jenna decides to lock this thread then I think my re-post falls to the next person in line.
Thanks Jenna! We love ya!
-----
Just a Big Ole' Thank You to You
I still take it personally when people criticize AW... I've always felt very protective of the people here and our sense of community. I have learned through the years that the vast majority of members here are good-hearted and helpful. When one of us is in trouble, there are always going to be a whole bunch of hands reaching over to lift that person up. When one of us has success, sure the rest of us may feel some jealousy, but we're also genuinely happy for that person and great at celebrating others' achievements and supporting them.
People here have volunteered their time in all sorts of ways, donated to help with the costs of the site, kept the mods' morale up at times when you didn't even know our morale needed lifting...
Mine needed some lifting today and it's all fixed now, thanks.
You are amazing at saying the right things at the right times, then sending me into fits of uncontrollable laughter.
There are always going to be some people who live to complain or go through life with a grand sense of entitlement and superiority. There will be people who seek out new ways to be offended-- and people who seek out buttons to push because they find pleasure in hurting others. There will be people who lie for attention and start rumors for their own benefit. People who pretend to be people they're not. People who will seek to criticize anything that's "popular" or successful or well-loved. People who writhe with jealousy when they can't be the most important person in a room.
And if there were no "you" to balance that out, well... it would stink. You're my reality check. (I know, frightening!)
So, thanks for all you do to remind us not to let stuff get to us, and to prove again what a great community this is. These past few months, we've seen an influx of new members who've quickly become part of the "family" and obviously care about this place... I want to say thanks both to them and to the older members who tend to take people under their wings and help them feel welcome. I appreciate it very much.
And before I get any sappier, I'm just going to close this thread where it is.
The mods can close this thread, if they like, but they can never close the warmth and kindness that we've shared for so long. So, if Jenna decides to lock this thread then I think my re-post falls to the next person in line.
Thanks Jenna! We love ya!
-----
Just a Big Ole' Thank You to You
I still take it personally when people criticize AW... I've always felt very protective of the people here and our sense of community. I have learned through the years that the vast majority of members here are good-hearted and helpful. When one of us is in trouble, there are always going to be a whole bunch of hands reaching over to lift that person up. When one of us has success, sure the rest of us may feel some jealousy, but we're also genuinely happy for that person and great at celebrating others' achievements and supporting them.
People here have volunteered their time in all sorts of ways, donated to help with the costs of the site, kept the mods' morale up at times when you didn't even know our morale needed lifting...
Mine needed some lifting today and it's all fixed now, thanks.
You are amazing at saying the right things at the right times, then sending me into fits of uncontrollable laughter. There are always going to be some people who live to complain or go through life with a grand sense of entitlement and superiority. There will be people who seek out new ways to be offended-- and people who seek out buttons to push because they find pleasure in hurting others. There will be people who lie for attention and start rumors for their own benefit. People who pretend to be people they're not. People who will seek to criticize anything that's "popular" or successful or well-loved. People who writhe with jealousy when they can't be the most important person in a room.
And if there were no "you" to balance that out, well... it would stink. You're my reality check. (I know, frightening!)
So, thanks for all you do to remind us not to let stuff get to us, and to prove again what a great community this is. These past few months, we've seen an influx of new members who've quickly become part of the "family" and obviously care about this place... I want to say thanks both to them and to the older members who tend to take people under their wings and help them feel welcome. I appreciate it very much.
And before I get any sappier, I'm just going to close this thread where it is.
I love you guys. 
